Treatment of fibrous materials



Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS Ivan Tudor and Owen Tudor-Hart, Bagshot, England No Drawing. Application October 24, 1929, Serial No. 402,306, and in Great Britain November 2, 1928 '7 Claims.

In connection with the use of fibrous materials, it is well known that horse hair possesses valuable advantages over vegetable fibres, one of which is that its surface is smooth and glossy so that a mass of coir materials forms a more resilient cushion owing to the ability of the individual fibres to slide freely over each other when the mass is deformed instead of being caught at a multitude of points whereby the natural elasticity of the fibre is prevented from being utilized to its full possible extent.

Endeavors have been made to treat vegetable fibre in such a manner as would improve its surface and enable a slipping action between individual fibres to more readily occur when a mass of the material is ordinarily utilized. Such endeavors have principally been directed to processes for coating or impregnating the surface of the fibre with smoothing materials as, for example, various kinds of gelatin.

Now we have found that when the fibre has been treated with an alkali (a process which is already known per se), a change occurs in the nature of structure of the fibre whereby if a mass of the material is rubbed or worked together, the fibres will acquire a polished, smooth and glossy external finish. It is possible that this finish is derived from abrasion of the original high spots in the surface of the fibre, but it is more probable that the surface of the fibre, as affected by the alkali, becomes in some way softened so that the material can, as it were, flow under the rubbing action and after the necessary period of working settle down to a smooth surface so that the individual fibres are no longer liable to catch in each other and maximum resilience may be utilized.

We find that coir fibre, when treated in the above maner, acquires a finish which is much superior to any which has hitherto been obtained commercially by coating or impregnating processes, and which for many modes of use compares favorably both in appearance and feel with the advantages of using horse hair.

In carrying the invention into efiect, the fibre is first treated with alkali which has the effect of removing dust and woody particles adhering to it, together with resinous materials, and enables the resilient fibre to be given a natural wave which 50 develops into a tight curl with suitable treatment in or after the subsequent drying. Al-

though the strength of the alkali may vary, a

suitable treatment consists in boiling the fibre for one hour with a 3 to 5 per cent caustic soda 55 solution; this gives an adequate curl without damaging the resistant qualities of the fibre.

The fibre is then rinsed before drying and at this stage can be dyed, the alkalination enabling the coir to be dyed easily with a substantive dye.

The strands of treated fibre acquire a wave during the drying but to cause a tight curl it is preferred to tease the fibre continuously during the drying operation until it is thoroughly dry.

The preferred method consists in drying in a current of warm air at approximately 175 F. and teasing with close teeth.

The fibre after drying may be polished by suitable means such as by firm rubbing on or between boards covered with leather, woolen cloth or felt or by brushing with stiff brushes, the polishing action being improved if the hairs are caused to roll over each other in such a manner that all sides are equally treated.

In working the fibre industrially, it is desirable to use a means whereby the fibre is taken in small masses and rubbed with suitable surfaces more or less corresponding to the palms of the hand, and set in motion in a manner analogous to the hand operation.

We claim:-

1.'A process of treating coir fiber after treatment with alkali, consisting in drying said material and then rubbing it in the mass so that the various fibers are frictionally engaged inter se to give a smooth or glossy surface to the external surface of the fibers in the absence of a coating composition.

2. A process of treating coir fiber after treatment with alkali, consisting in drying said material and then rubbing it in the mass between boards covered with yielding material.

3. A process of treating coir fiber after treatment with alkali. consisting in drying said material and then rubbing it in the mass between boards covered with woolen cloth.

4. A process of treating coir fiber after treatment with alkali, consisting in drying said material and then rubbing it in the mass between boards covered with felt.

5. A process of treating coir fiber after treatmentwith alkali, consisting in drying said material and then rubbing it in the mass by means of rubbing agents serving to impart a smooth, glossy surface to the fibers in the absence of a coating composition.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fiber is teased with close teeth in warm air during the drying operation.

'7. A process of treating coir fiber after treatment with alkali, consisting indrying said fiber and then rubbing it in the mass between boards covered with leather.

IVAN TUDOR. OWEN TUDOR-HART. 

